This lake is frequently referred to as the world’s “highest navigable lake.” Lake Titicaca is a freshwater lake located on the border between Peru and Bolivia.
Lake Titicaca is a freshwater lake located on the border between Peru and Bolivia. This lake is frequently referred to as the world’s “highest navigable lake.” It is also the biggest lake in South America in terms of volume and surface area.
Prior to the advent of the Incas, several native peoples lived on Lake Titicaca. A team of international archaeologists and divers discovered the remnants of an underwater temple believed to be 1,000 to 1,500 years old and most likely erected by the Tiwanaku people around 2000 BCE. The ruins are 200 by 50 meters in size (660 by 160 ft). The temple was surrounded by a hamlet, roadways, farming terraces, and an 800-meter-long retaining wall.
Explore the Islands of Lake Titicaca
The ” Uros Floating Islands” are tiny, man-made islands built by the Uros people out of layers of chopped totora, a thick, buoyant sedge that grows abundantly in Lake Titicaca’s shallows. The Uros create the islands by regularly adding sedges to the surface of the lake, which grows naturally on the lake’s shores.
Amantani is yet another little island on Lake Titicaca that is home to Quechua speakers. On the nearly circular 15 km2 (6 sq mi) island, over 4,000 people dwell in ten settlements. Pachatata (Father Earth) and Pachamama (Mother Earth) are two mountain peaks with ancient ruins on top of each.
On Amantani Island, terraced slopes rise from the lake and are sown with wheat, potatoes, and vegetables. The majority of the tiny fields are handled entirely by hand. The fields are divided by long stone fences, while cattle and sheep graze on the slopes.
Taquile is a steep island 45 kilometers (28 miles) east of Puno. It was utilized as a jail during the Spanish colony and into the twentieth century. Then, it was given to the Taquile people, who have lived on the island since 1970.
The present population of Taquile is around 2,200 people. The island has a maximum size of 5.5 by 1.6 km (3.42 by 0.99 mi) and an area of 5.72 km2 (2.21 sq mi). The island’s highest point is 4,050 m (13,290 ft) above sea level, while the main settlement is at 3,950 m. (12,960 ft). Pre-Inca remains and agricultural terraces have been discovered on the island’s highest point.
We will pick you up from your hotel in Puno City around 8:00 am. Then, we will go in our private vehicle to Puno’s port, where we will board a boat to the famous Uros Islands. The climate on Lake Titicaca is cold and dry, so wear warm clothes.
Once we arrive at the Uros Islands, you will have a guided tour of this enchanting place. You will learn about the ancient techniques used by the Uros people to build and maintain their artificial islands. You will also have the chance to buy some local souvenirs, such as traditional clothes. As an optional activity, you can also take a short trip on a totora reed raft.
Then, we will sail to the beautiful Amantani Island. The boat trip to this island takes around 3 hours to complete. Once we arrive at Amantani, you will have a guided tour of this cozy island. You will learn about the unique traditions and customs of the inhabitants of Amantani.
After the initial tour of Amantani, you will have a traditional lunch at your host family’s home. Then, in the afternoon, you will have a short trek to the Pachatata Ceremonial Center, located on the highest point of Amantani Island.
Afterwards, you will have a traditional dinner, to then spend the rest of the night in your host family’s house.
We will wake up at 6:30 am to have breakfast. Then, we will sail to the cozy Taquile Island. You will have a short trek around this small island. Once we get to the main square, you will be able to get incredible views of the island and the surrounding Lake Titicaca. Then, we will have lunch at a traditional restaurant.
After exploring Amantani, we will board our boat to return to Puno City. We will be arriving at Puno City around 3:30 pm. Once there, we will transfer you back to your hotel.
Departure & Return Location
Puno Hotel Transfer
Departure Time
8:00 a.m.
Price Includes
Price Excludes
Packing list
From:
$
Do you have any questions? Contact us at +51 974 378 488
Find out what those who have trusted us to explore unique destinations and live extraordinary adventures have to say.
John CJanuary 10, 2025Verified Excellent, perfectly planned trip. The trip was perfectly planned from start to finish, the transport, the hike, the hotel, the food and the entrance to Machu Picchu. The lovely guide Edwin was incredibly knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the site, the hike, and it's history. It truly is an incredible and captivating place that is a must see if you have the opportunity. Gabriel CNovember 12, 2024Verified Rainbow Mountain Tour guide We had a great tour of Rainbow Mountain. Jose was extremely knowledgeable and was a lot of help. The tour included good breakfast and lunch. I highly recommended this tour Joshua SNovember 10, 2024Verified "Unforgettable Machu Picchu Journey with an Exceptional Guide!" John was the perfect guide for our journey from Cusco to Machu Picchu! From the start, he made everything smooth and enjoyable, picking us up from our hotel and ensuring we were comfortable and ready for the adventure ahead. Thanks to his planning, we arrived at Machu Picchu early, avoiding the crowds and enjoying the stunning morning views. The weather was fantastic, and John's deep knowledge of the history and culture made every moment even more memorable. His explanations brought the ancient Incan sites to life, and he guided us thoughtfully through the walk at Machu Picchu, pointing out details we would have missed on our own. Throughout the entire day, John was attentive, patient, and incredibly helpful. He truly went above and beyond to make our experience unforgettable. Highly recommend! Gabriel CNovember 10, 2024Verified Great tour Me and my brother went on a tour with John. He was very helpful. He was very knowledgeable and helpful. Not only did he give a great tour but he was able to give us good recommendations and was very accommodating Kim AOctober 24, 2024Verified An amazing experience! We are an American family from Evansville, Indiana. After doing much research we chose Machu Picchu Tours to make our dream come true of seeing Machu Picchu via the 4-day Inca Trail Trek.Planning this kind of trip is no small feat, but John Taqquere Villaneuva was there for us every step of the way! He always responded quickly to my MANY texts and provided excellent information to prepare us for the trek. Our amazing guide, Edwin, the Porters and Chef went way above and beyond to make sure we felt safe and that we were getting the best experience that was promised. I cannot emphasize how important hygiene and safe food is on a trip like this. We feel our Porters did an excellent job keeping the dining area clean and providing excellent, healthy and safe food. While it is common for foreigners to get sick when traveling to a new country, the crew kept us healthy, hydrated, and safe the entire trip. Our porters took care of every single detail from setting up our camp, refilling our water bottles, and feeding us delicious hot meals 3 times a day. The porters were always there to take care of us. Our bags were transported and waiting for us in our tents upon arrival. Hot drinks were ready for us upon arrival at each campsite, and hot soapy water and towels were provided to clean up after a long day’s hike. Their work ethic and attention to detail was impressive. The 4 day trek is strenuous. Our guide, Edwin, coached us along the way, helping us to set a pace that worked for us so that we would not burn out. He also handled all of our paperwork and entry tickets. There are checkpoints and everything must be in order and spelled correctly. Without these documents, there is no trek and there is no entry into Machu Picchu. Our guide always kept us informed of the daily itinerary and was always supportive and eager to help. His knowledge of the history of the Inca and the ruins was exceptional. We walked away feeling an immense appreciation and understanding of the Inca because of Edwin. If your dream of seeing Machu Picchu is through the Inca Trail, or want to arrange guided tours, then don’t let fear stand in your way. And if you are looking for an agency, we highly recommend John Taqquere Villaneuva with Machu Picchu Tours. These are good, honest, trustworthy and hard-working people that will help make your dream come true. We are so thankful to Machu Picchu Tours, our Guide, Edwin, and the amazing Porters and Chef for their hard work and efforts to help make our dream come true. HikeJunkieCarlosOctober 21, 2024Verified Very organized crew knowledgeable friendly and just plain awesome to have around every step of the way. Couldn’t have asked for a better crew chef porters tents and food for this 4 day Inca trail tripWas the best experience for all 8 of us in our friends group to enjoy every moment and have amazing time all the way through the trip in town and on the Inca trailVery organized crew knowledgeable friendly and just plain awesome to have around every step of the way. Highly recommend this company to solo and groups that plan to visit Peru SkyMiles KOctober 19, 2024Verified 1 of 2 top Bucket List items, Hike the INCA Trail to Machu Picchu Completed the INCA trail with our Hike Junkies family. The Machu Picchu tours were INCREDIBLE!!! A great big shout out to John Taqquere Villanueva & his team for providing us with their expertise & care before, during & after the 4-day backpacking hike. The porters had camp setup for Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner during our hiking adventure. Our chef, Carmelito "5-STARS," prepared meals that you should only find in a fine dining restaurant. We even had some Peruvian history lessons along the way. A few surprise discovery viewpoints along the trail. After completing 4-day Inca trail, we hiked the Humanatay Lake on 5th day & Rainbow Mtn on 6th day. We THANK YOU, John, Alberto, Berle, Aiwyn & drivers, porters for making this the adventure of the century!...so far Rebecca ROctober 19, 2024Verified 4 day Inca Trail with Hike Junkies We just completed the 4 day Inca Trail with Machu Picchu Tours. John Taqquere Villanueva went above and beyond to provide us with an amazing experience, with fun, knowledgeable guides to qn amazing chef and porters. Our tents were comfortable and kept us warm and dry from the elements. We were served four course meals, desert and happy hour on each day. Happy hour consisted of fresh hot popcorn, hot cocoa, coffee, cookies and bread. In addition to the 4 day Inca Trail we scored permits to hike Huayna Picchu ( Stairs of Death) which we conquered just having completed the last day of the Inca trail. Yes, our group is crazy! One member of our group was unable to hike the four day Inca trail due to severe health issues, John Taqquere and went above and beyond to give him an amazing Machu Picchu experience. Our trip consisted of City Walking Tour of Cusco, Alpaca Farm, Humantay Lake, Rainbow Mountain and other ruins. This was a humbling experience that will last a lifetime. Chalmers BOctober 9, 2024Verified Great experience! Our guide Edwin was excellent. The first day is very challenging but equally rewarding, and we were really glad that MPT arranged a pre-meeting the day before to go over logistics and make sure we were properly equipped -- renting poles is highly recommended, well worth the $10. Reaching the Sun Gate and getting the full vista of Machu Picchu felt like a life accomplishment. The second day is much less challenging, walking through the actual ruins of Machu Picchu, and we felt much less pressure because we'd gotten such great views and photos the day before.
Huchuy Qosqo was used as a royal estate by Viracocha. During the last days of his rule, he faced a revolt from Cancha People. Huchuy Qosqo Hike is an off-the-beaten-track experience that takes you to the lesser-known yet prominent Inca site, Huchuy Qosqo Peru.
© 2024 MACHU PICCHU TOURS | All rights reserved